Counterflow condenser



ETAL

Filed May 16, 1955 COUNTERF'LOW CONDENSER S. J. RUSZKOWSKI +lall Ailg. 27, 1957 United States Patent O coUN'rERrLow CONDENSER Stanley J. Ruszlrowski and Frank E. Pietruszynski, Chicago, lll.

Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,596

4 Claims. (Cl. 257-43) The present invention relates to counterow condensers, and has for its main object the provision of a plurality of tubes so arranged and connected at their ends as to provide a sinuous passage for refrigerant gas or other substance to be cooled or liquified, with pipes positioned within said tubes in a concentric relation, through which pipes water or any other coolant may be circulated in a sinuous manner for the purpose of exchanging heat between the gas and water.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a helical fin around the pipes aforesaid, and interposed therebetween and said tubes for retarding the ow of gas in order to provide maximum eiect upon the gas by the coolant.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of blocks to which said tubes and pipes may be connected with passages made in said blocks in communication with the ends of the pipes in a staggered relation to bring about a sinuous circulation of Water or any other coolant through said pipes.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of squared ends for said tubes, which squared ends may provide contacts between the tubes when the latter are positioned in a stacked mutual relation, with passages provided between pairs of adjacent tubes in alternate ends thereof for providing passages for refrigerant gas or other fluid substance to be cooled for the purpose of directing the gas to flow in a sinuous direction.

A still further object of the persent invention is to generally improve the condenser or heat exchanger of the character above indicated.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the present device;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal enlarged cross sectional view through the water pipe, the gas tube and the iin interposed therebetween; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown therein a plurality of tubes 10 which are preferably made of round formation throughout their length, except that the ends of said tubes 10 areY either squared or formed into rectangles 11 on their cross section, as best shown in Fig. 4.

Said rectangular ends 11 of tubes 10 are welded by 2,804,283 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 their free terminations or otherwise rigidly aiiixed to blocks or heads 12, which serve as tube sheets.

Positioned in a concentric relation within each tube 10 is pipe 13, for passing therethrough water or any other suitable coolant. Rigidly axed by its inner rim portion to each of said pipes 13 is helical fin 14, which extends however throughout the round portion of each tube 10 and contacts by its outer rim the inner periphery of said tube 10, as is best shown in the lowermost tube 10 in Fig. l. ln practice pipe 13 with its fm 14 is extended inwardly of tube 10 While the latter still remains in its round formation throughout its length and prior to the formation of the rectangular ends 11. Otherwise there would be no means of inserting pipe 13 with its iin 14 into tube 10.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that the several convolutions of n 14 in conjunction with the outer periphery of pipe 13 and the inner periphery of tube 1d forms a helical passage of gas or other iluid to be cooled, and as is obvious since the gas or other iluid is to pass through the entire length of said helical passage the flow of the gas or other fluid is necessarily retarded with relation to the flow of water or other coolant within said pipe 13.

Made in one of said blocks 12 is a pair of passages 15. One end of the uppermost pipe 13 and one end of the upper, inner pipe 13 are passed through the inner Wall of said block and communicate with the upper and lower ends of the uppermost passage 15, respectively.

The end of the second central pipe 13 and the end of the lowermost pipe 13 are passed through the inner wall of said block 12 and are in communication with the lowermost passage 15 at its upper and lower ends, respectively, as is seen in Fig. l.

The opposite block 12 has a central passage 16 made therein with which the adjacent ends of a pair of central pipes 13 are in communication.

That latter block 12 at its ends is provided with bores 17, in a transverse relation, with which the adjacent ends of the lowermost and uppermost pipes 13 are in cornmunication.

Coacting with said last mentioned block 12 is closure 1S, with the upper end of which inlet tubing 19 is formed, while the other end of said closure 18 has the outlet tubing 2t? rigidly formed therewith. Bores 21 through said closure 1S, are in communication with said tubings 19 and 20. Said bores 21 are in turn in communication with bores 17. Thus, said inlet tubing 19 may be connected with the source of water or other coolant to force the same therethrough into the uppermost pipe 3, and the outowing water from the lowermost pipe 13 will pass through said bores 17 and 21 at the lowermost end of said block 12 and will be expelled through the outlet tubing 20.

At the opposite end of the device closure 22 is provided to cover the outer face of the opposite block 12. The two closures 18 and 22 are aflixed to said blocks 12 by means of a plurality of screws 23. To bring about close lit between said closures 18 and 22 and their respective blocks 12 gaskets 24 are interposed therebetween.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that water or any other suitable coolant is forced through tubing 19 to the adjacent end of the uppermost pipe 13. Through the opposite end of said uppermost pipe 13 water iiows to the uppermost passage 15, from there to the adjacent end of the upper central pipe 13, and flows through the opposite end of said latter pipe into passage 16. From there the water flows into the lower central pipe 13 to spill to the lower passage 15, and from there to the lowermost pipe 13, and through the opposite end of the latter pipe ejecting through the outlet tubing 20,

On removal of closures 18 and 22 passages 15 and 16 will become exposed giving access to the ends of pipes 13 opening upon said passages 15 and 16, for the purpose of cleaning said pipes 13 by suitable brush in order to-re'- move any `sediment from said vpipes `which mayotherwise collectto excess and retard the etiicient cooling action upon the gas flowing outwardly of said pipes 134 and within tubes 10. l

Thecontacting walls of the rectangular portions 11 of a pair of uppermost tubes 10 are provided with communieating openings 25. Similar openings 26are made at the contacting walls of the rectangular portions 11 of a pair of the lowerrnost tubes 10.

Communicating openings 27 are made at the contacting faces ofthe rectangular portions 11 of the central tubes 10, at the opposite ends of the latter.

Inlet fixture 28 is made at the uppermost rectangular portion 11 of the uppermost tube 10, and at its end adjacent the Water inlet tubing 19. An outlet fixture 29 is provided at the rectangular portion 11 of the lowermost tube 10 at the end of the latter adjacent the water outlet tubing 20. Gas or other fluid passing through said inlet fixture 28 will be caused toV ow through the helical passage in the uppermost tube 10 brought about by said helical tin 14, expelling through openings 25 to the next lowermost tube 10, from the latter through openings 27 into the next lowermost tube 10, and from the latter` through openings 26 into the lowermost tube 10, and through outlet fixture 29 to' be pumped back into a refrigerating device in its cool or liquiied state.

From the above description it will be seen that both water or any other coolant as well as the gas or any other fluid to be cooled, condensed or liquited, both are causedvto ilow in a sinuous manner in the same direction through the several pipes 13 and the several tubes 10,

respectively; The ow of the gas being retarded by the` action of the helical n 14 will flow at a much slower rate of speed than the rate of ow of water through pipes 13.

In order to increase the radiating surface of tin 14 and thereby to bring about more eflicient heat exchange between water and gas, tin 14 upon its face is provided throughout its length at quite close proximity to each other with a plurality `of lateral corrugations 30 adjacent the base of the tin, which corrugations are substantially in a radialrelation with tube 10 and pipe 13, as is clearly seen in Figs. l, and 6.

For supporting the condensing device upon suitable surface legs 31, aixed to the lower endsv of blocks 12, by means of screws 32, are provided.

Although fo'u'r tubes 1) and four cooperating pipes 13 are shown in the drawing it'is to be understood that either lesser or larger number of said tubes and pipes may be A employed depending upon the gas capacity of a refrigerator. Even a pair of tubes and a like number of pipes 13 will suce to provide an operative device.

In certain aspectof the invention tubings19 and 20 may be considered as prolongations of the adjacent ends of said pipes 13.

ln the broader aspect of the invention blocks 12 with their respective passages and 16 may be considered as fittings for providing ,communication between the ends of a pair of adjacent pipes 13. Y

While there is described herein a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.`

What we'clairn as new is: v

11A condenser of the type described comprising a single bank of aligned tubes, a header block secured at eachend of said tubes, said tubes having `flat surfaces at the ends, the flat surfaces of adjacent tubes at alternate ends being in contactual relation with aligned openings therethrough providing a passage through the tubes for duid to be cooled1to flow in` a sinuous path, tubular tix-V ical batlie interposed between each inner pipe and its turessecured to said tubes at the ends of said sinuous path and providing inlet and outlet openings in saidtubes, Aconcentric pipes within said tubes having their ends partially extending into said header blocks and communicating with spaced recesses therein opening upon the outer face of said header blocks, closures covering the outer faces of said header blocks, said pipes and recesses pro- Viding a passage for `the cooling uid to tlow in a sinuous path in the same direction as the sinuous ow of the uid to be cooled, means providing inlet and outlet openings in said pipes at the ends of said second-named sinuous path, battle means interposed between `each innerpipe and associated outer tube and causing the iluid to be cooled to flow around the pipe a plurality of times as such fluid moves from one end of said tube to the other end of said tube.V

2. /xcondenser of the type describedcomprising a single bank of aligned tubes, a header block secured at eachend of said tubes, said tubes having squared ends providing flat surfaces at adjacent ends being in contactual relation with aligned openings therethrough providing a passage through the tubes for fluid to be cooled to ow in a sinuous path, tubular iixtures secured to said tubes at the ends of said sinuous path and providing inlet and outlet openings in said tubes`,concentric pipes within said tubes having their ends partially extending into said header blocks and cornmunicating with spaced recesses therein opening upon the outer face of s'id header block, closures covering the outer 'faces of said header blocks', said pipes and recesses providing a passage for the cooling fluid to iiow ina sinuous path in the same direction as the sinuous flow of the fluid to be cooled, means providing inlet and outlet openings in said pipes at the ends of said second-named sinuous path, baffle means interposed between each innerpipe and associated outer tube and causing the fluid to be cooled to flow around the pipe a plurality of times as such iiuid movesfromone end of said tube .to the other end 'of said tube.

3.- A condenser'of the type described comprising a `sing-le bank of aligned tubes, a header block secured at each end of `said tubes, said `tubes having -at surfaces at the ends, the flat surfaces of adjacent tubes at alternate ends being iny contractual yrel-ation with Ialigned openings therethrough providing a passage through the -tubes for uid `to be cooled to flow in a sinuous path, tubular fixtures `secured to said tubes at rthe ends of said sinuous path and providing inlet and outlet openings in said tubes, concentric pipes within said tubes Vhaving their ends `partially extending into said header blocks land communicating with spaced recesses thereinopening upon the outer faces of said header blocks, closures covering the outer faces of said lheader block-s, `said pipes and` recesses providing a passage for the coolingfluid to ow ina sinuous path in the .same 4direction as the sinuous flow of the fluid to be cooled, means providing inlet `and outlet openings in said pipes .at the ends `of said second-named sinuous path, a helassociated outer tube and causing the iiuid to be cooled to ilow around the pipe a plurality of times as such fluid -rnoves from one end of `said tube to the other end of said tube.

4. A condens-er of .the ty-pe described comprising a single bank of .aligned tubes, a header 'block secured at each end of said tub-es, said tubes having ii-at surfaces at the ends, the flat 'surfaces' of adjacent tubes at alternate ends being in contiactual relation wit-h aligned openings therethrough providing a passage through the tubes for fluid to be lcooled to iiow in la sinuous path, tubular xtures secured to lsaid tubes at the ends lof said sinuous path and providing inlet and out-let openings in said tubes, concentric pipes within said tubes having their ends partially extending into said 'head-er blocks and corn` rmln-icatingwit-h` spa-ced recesses therein opening upon the outer face of said header blocks, closures covering the outer faces of' saidoheader blocks, said pipes and re- 5 esses providing a passage for the cooling fiud to ow in a sinuou-s path in the same dii-section as the sin-nous ow of the Huid to be cooled, means providing inlet and outlet openings in said pipes :at the ends of said second-named sinuous path, said 'helioal baie haw-ing a plurality of spaced cornugations adjacent the `inner edge thereof in radial relation with `each of said pipes for the purpose of increasing the radiant 'suwface of said bafe.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

